Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog

Missourians from Imperial and St. Louis were injured in a Jefferson County Missouri single vehicle car accident on November 20, 2011. The 8:30pm Jefferson County Missouri car accident occurred on northbound Old Lemay Ferry, north of Spring Forest Drive.

27 year old drier Tyler J. Flotow of St. Louis, Missouri lost control of a 2003 Subaru Baja on the wet roadway. The Subaru travelled off the roadway, striking a post off the right side of the road. Three people were injured. 14 year old Floyd H. Duncan of Imperial, Missouri suffered the worst injures in the accident. Flotow and Nicholas M. King, 20, of Imperial, Missouri sustained physical injuries in the accident as well. The three accident victims were taken by Rock Township Ambulance to St. Anthony’s Medical Center.

Missouri single vehicle accidents are not always the result of driver negligence. Single vehicle accidents may be caused by environmental circumstances outside of the driver’s control. For example, poorly tied down debris may fall into the roadway from another vehicle. The driver may swerve to avoid the road obstruction, only to drive off the roadway in an accident. Since the driver did not collide with another automobile, the crash report may indicate that a Missouri single vehicle accident occurred though the driver was not at fault.

Single vehicle accidents may also be caused by poorly maintained roads in Missouri. Poorly maintained roads are safe when initially built, but become dangerous as a municipality neglects its duty to maintain the roads. Poorly maintained roads increase the risk of serious traffic accidents. However, some municipalities are cutting the budget designated for road maintenance in response to strict budget cuts and decreased tax revenue. Structural problems on bridges, unfilled potholes, and overgrown plants blocking sight lines may go uncorrected for an extended period of time.

Municipalities that fail to fulfill their duty to maintain the roads in their jurisdiction are liable to accident victims. If the failure to maintain a road was the cause of a Missouri single car accident, the accident victim may be able to obtain compensation for injuries sustained from the municipality. Accident victims who wish to obtain compensation from municipalities should contact an experienced Missouri car accident attorney. Municipalities may have mandatory administrative procedures with strict deadlines.